Review: AC/DC Plays a Sold Out Show at Vancouver’s BC Place

Last week, legendary rock and roll band, AC/DC played a long-awaited sold out show in Vancouver as part of the North American leg of their POWER UP 2025 concert tour. Marking their first tour in nearly a decade, the iconic Australian band played a setlist filled with some of their most popular songs, reigniting the fire and love for rock and roll in British Columbia. With a roaring audience and an electrifying opening set by The Pretty Reckless, band members Angus Young (lead guitar), Brian Johnson (vocalist), Stevie Young (rhythm guitar), Matt Laug (drums), and Chris Chaney (bass) took the stage to play a show that Vancouver would never forget. 

Looking back on the band’s early days, AC/DC was formed in Sydney in 1973. Founded by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young alongside drummer Colin Burgess and vocalist Dave Evans, the band would eventually become one of the most influential and best-selling rock acts in history with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. Despite their music being described as hard rock or heavy metal, the band has always insisted that their genre was pure rock and roll at its core. 

After several lineup changes and the release of their debut album High Voltage (1975), tragedy struck with the death of the band’s frontman Bon Scott just months after Highway to Hell (1979). English singer, Brian Johnson, stepped in and the band came back with Back in Black (1980) shortly after. The album was a tribute to Scott and went on to become the best-selling album by any band and the third best-selling album by any artist, with over 50 million copies sold. AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and has influenced generations of music over the years including the new wave of British heavy metal. With the passing of Malcolm Young in 2017 and other member lineup changes, the band still remains a force to be reckoned within the music industry. 

AC/DC’s current POWER UP concert tour is in support of their 17th studio album of the same name, released in 2020. POWER UP is a tribute to the band’s legacy with their accompanying tour being their first outing since their ROCK OR BUST world tour in 2015-2016. After its release, POWER UP debuted at #1 in 21 countries and became one of the best-selling albums in 2020. With the album also earning Grammy nominations for “Best Rock Album,” “Best Rock Performance,” and “Best Music Video” for the song, “Shot In The Dark,” it is evident that the band’s energy and talent still remains potent after many years in the industry. The POWER UP tour conquered stadiums in Europe in 2024 and launched the 13 city 2025 stadium tour in North America earlier this month. With The Pretty Reckless as their headliner for both legs of the tour, AC/DC has set the stage for a thunderous comeback and an electrifying celebration of their legendary discography. 

Overall, AC/DC’s POWER UP tour stop in Vancouver was a must-see event for any hardcore fan and delivered exactly what the crowd came for: an exciting night filled with the group’s hits. The atmosphere inside BC place was electric, composed of a crowd of mostly longtime fans from older generations with plenty of younger rockers who were just as eager to be a part of the experience. The band played for just over two hours with minimal pauses. The band kept the chatter in between songs to a minimum and let the music do the talking. If there were any downsides to the night, it would have been the long wait time for merchandise. The selection was great with lots of well-designed options; however, the lines seemed endless with some fans even opting to grab their gear while the band was onstage. Arriving early or just purchasing the merch from the online store is definitely recommended. Despite the long lines, this minor inconvenience was far outweighed by the timeless energy that AC/DC brought to the stage. 

Watching the band live was a reminder that rock and roll energy knows no age. This was evident in the performance of lead guitarist, Angus Young, who brought the energy from start to finish. The 70 year old never slowed down, moving across the stage with every song in his signature schoolboy outfit. Lead singer, Brian Johnson, was just as lively as well, performing at the age of 77. He may have not hit every note with the same force that he once did and his vocals were hard to hear over the volume of the band at times, but none of that really mattered to the ecstatic crowd. It was expected that the performance would not be the same as that of their early years, but being in the presence of the rock legends was more than enough. The power and spirit that was brought to every song made the night special for everyone who attended. 

The show opened with “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” before moving into the fan-favourite song, “Back In Black.” While most songs were played at their original tempo, “Thunderstruck” was noticeably slower in tempo than the original, giving it a heavier feel than usual. There were some simple, yet memorable stage effects added to the experience. There was a giant bell that descended during the song, “Hells Bells,” and cannon blasts and fire that lit up the finale, “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).” Unlike other artists that often utilize pre-recorded videos in-between songs or backup dancers with flashy choreography, AC/DC kept the focus on the music with basic staging and minimal effects scattered throughout. Overall, the setlist was packed with the classics such as “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and “Highway To Hell,” to name a few. A couple of newer tracks from POWER UP such as “Shot In The Dark” and “Demon Fire” were included as well. Even though the tour supported their POWER UP album, the band wisely focused on their greatest hits which is exactly what the crowd came for. 

At the end of the day, AC/DC has proved that their concerts are (and always have been) about the music, nothing else. Even after decades of global success, it’s clear that the band genuinely loves being on stage, performing the same hits that launched them into the spotlight. Experiencing AC/DC live felt like a “bucket list” moment. A concert that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. As the band continues to sell out stadiums across continents and rack up streams of their songs year after year, they have never strayed away from embracing the raw, electrifying sound that defines who they are. As they move through the POWER UP tour to play for their growing fanbase, their reign as one of the greatest rock bands of time still remains as powerful as ever. 

AC/DC’s 2025 Power Up North American Tour dates are as followed: 

April 10 – Minneapolis, MN - US Bank Stadium

April 14 – Arlington, TX - AT&T Stadium

April 18 – Pasadena, CA - Rose Bowl

April 22 –  Vancouver, BC - BC Place

April 26 – Las Vegas, NV - Allegiant Stadium

April 30 – Detroit, MI - Ford Field

May 4 – Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium

May 8 – Pittsburgh, PA - Acrisure Stadium

May 12 – Landover, MD - Northwest Stadium

May 16 – Tampa, FL - Raymond James Stadium

May 20 – Nashville, TN - Nissan Stadium

May 24 – Chicago, IL - Soldier Field

May 28 – Cleveland, OH - Huntington Bank Field

AC/DC’s 2025 Power Up North American Tour will play 13 stadiums across the US and Canada. The tour began on April 10 in Minneapolis, MN at US Bank Stadium and will end on May 28 in Cleveland, OH at Huntington Bank Field. The band played a sold out show in Vancouver, BC at BC Place on April 22. For more information about the tour visit the link below!